Police ID weapon used in fatal shooting of Beaumont taxidermist

Stanley Leger demonstrates how he aligns the eyes in a deer mold at his taxidermy shop in Beaumont, Tuesday. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Stanley Leger demonstrates how he aligns the eyes in a deer mold at his taxidermy shop in Beaumont, Tuesday. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

Image
1of/8

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 8

Stanley Leger demonstrates how he aligns the eyes in a deer mold at his taxidermy shop in Beaumont, Tuesday. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Stanley Leger demonstrates how he aligns the eyes in a deer mold at his taxidermy shop in Beaumont, Tuesday. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

Police ID weapon used in fatal shooting of Beaumont taxidermist

1 / 8

Back to Gallery

A Beaumont police officer used an AR-15 rifle to a shoot a well-known taxidermist who was brandishing a telescope-mounted rifle Tuesday night in the first officer-involved fatal shooting in perhaps two years, said police Chief James Singletary.

Stanley Leger, 80, had fired a round at a woman across the street from him earlier in the evening, Singletary said.

Three patrol division officers responded to the woman's 911 call around 7:30 p.m. at East Lucas Drive near Galveston Street.

The woman, who was renting a home owned by Leger, told the 911 dispatcher that Leger had fired his weapon at her across East Lucas, about 80 to 100 yards away.

Singletary said officers approached the Galveston Street home carefully. Leger reappeared on his front porch with his weapon, raising it and aimed at officers who yelled for him to "put the gun down, put the gun down," Singletary said.

One of the police officers fired a shot, a .223 caliber round, and Leger immediately fell. The shot was taken from about 70 yards away, Singletary said. Officers administered emergency medical aid and Leger was taken to a hospital. He died in surgery.

Singletary said Leger's wife was the only other person in the home at the time.

"We feel bad for the family," Singletary said. "His (Leger's) actions caused our officers to take the actions they had to take. Our officers don't want to hurt anybody or take someone's life."

Leger plied his taxidermy craft from a workshop in the back of his home and had prepared deer and other game animals as trophies for more than 50 years. In recent years, he had withdrawn from the trade as illness overtook him.

Singletary placed the three officers, who had anywhere from two to 10 years' of experience apiece, on administrative leave with pay, a normal procedure.

Beaumont police will conduct an internal investigation and a parallel criminal investigation, which will be reported to the Jefferson County grand jury.

The officers will be counseled with the help of the Peer Support Team, officers who are specially trained in dealing with traumatic incidents, said Sgt. Rob Flores, one of the team leaders.

Singletary said he will review the status of the two officers at the scene who did not fire the fatal shot to see if they are cleared to return to duty perhaps by late next week.